וַיַּעֲמֹד שָׂטָן עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּסֶת אֶת־דָּוִיד לִמְנוֹת אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל

An adversary, an evil inclination, rose against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. David’s own thoughts and musings led him to the decision to count the children of Israel.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל־יוֹאָב וְאֶל־שָׂרֵי הָעָם לְכוּ סִפְרוּ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִבְּאֵר שֶׁבַע וְעַד־דָּן וְהָבִיאוּ אֵלָי וְאֵדְעָה אֶת־מִסְפָּרָם

David said to Yoav and to the princes of the people: Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring it, the results, to me, and I will know their number. There does not seem to have been any real military or civil benefit to the census, although David was no doubt induced to think that the move was both important and necessary. It is possible that the king was motivated by a desire to act in the manner of the rest of the civilized countries.

וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב יוֹסֵף ה' עַל־עַמּוֹ כָּהֵם מֵאָה פְעָמִים הֲלֹא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ כֻּלָּם לַאדֹנִי לַעֲבָדִים לָמָּה יְבַקֵּשׁ זֹאת אֲדֹנִי לָמָּה יִהְיֶה לְאַשְׁמָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל

Yoav said: May the Lord add to His people as they are, one hundred times; surely, my lord the king, they are all servants to my lord. There is no agitation, or revolt, for which you must prepare. Why would my lord request this matter? Since it is unnecessary, why should it, the census, be a cause of guilt for Israel? Yoav, who typically followed David’s orders even when there was room for hesitation, feels that in this situation it is preferable to refrain from following the king’s orders, as this census is liable to bring guilt upon Israel.

ודְבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ חָזַק עַל־יוֹאָב וַיֵּצֵא יוֹאָב וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּבֹא יְרוּשָׁלִָם

The king’s directive prevailed over Yoav. David was decisive in his order. In other instances the king accepted Yoav’s counsel even when it did not please him, but here the idea that had entered David’s mind allowed him no rest, even though it was unclear what he stood to gain from the census. And Yoav, despite his reservations, went out and traveled throughout Israel, to conduct a census of the population, and came back to Jerusalem.

וַיִּתֵּן יוֹאָב אֶת־מִסְפַּר מִפְקַד־הָעָם אֶל־דָּוִיד וַיְהִי כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלֶף אֲלָפִים וּמֵאָה אֶלֶף אִישׁ שֹׁלֵף חֶרֶב וִיהוּדָה אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת וְשִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף אִישׁ שֹׁלֵף חָרֶב

Yoav gave the number of the census of the people to David. All of Israel was one million one hundred thousand men, wielders of the sword. The census did not include women and children. Even David’s greatest campaigns did not require that large a number of warriors, but it seems that the official justification for the census was military, and therefore only men who could serve in the military were counted. And Judah, which was considered a distinct military unit and was therefore counted separately, was four hundred seventy thousand men, wielders of the sword. It is likely that these round figures were based on estimates rather than a precise number of counted individuals, but Yoav nonetheless objected to the idea.

וְלֵוִי וּבִנְיָמִן לֹא פָקַד בְּתוֹכָם כִּי־נִתְעַב דְּבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת יוֹאָב

He did not count Levi, which was scattered among the other tribes, and did not have its own territory or participate in the military, and Benjamin, a small tribe, which had suffered many casualties in a civil war, from which it had not yet entirely recovered, among them, the rest of Israel, for the king’s directive was abhorrent and unacceptable to Yoav. He therefore sought to avoid fully implementing the king’s command.

וַיֵּרַע בְּעֵינֵי הָאֱלֹהִים עַל־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיַּךְ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל

It was displeasing in the eyes of God about this matter, and He smote Israel. Presumably, a disease or plague spread among the people.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים חָטָאתִי מְאֹד אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְעַתָּה הַעֲבֶר נָא אֶת־עֲווֹן עַבְדְּךָ כִּי נִסְכַּלְתִּי מְאֹד

David said to God: I have sinned greatly in that I have performed this action; now, please excuse, forgive, the iniquity of Your servant, as I have been very foolish.

וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל־גָּד חֹזֵה דָוִיד לֵאמֹר

The Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer. In addition to Natan the prophet, Gad, who was also a prophet, occasionally advised David. God instructed Gad, saying:

לֵךְ וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֶל־דָּוִיד לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר ה' שָׁלוֹשׁ אֲנִי נֹטֶה עָלֶיךָ בְּחַר־לְךָ אַחַת מֵהֵנָּה וְאֶעֱשֶׂה־לָּךְ

Go and speak to David, saying: So said the Lord: Three options I am extending against you, or presenting to you; choose for yourself one of them, and I will do it to you. One of these will be your punishment.

וַיָּבֹא גָד אֶל־דָּוִיד וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כֹּה־אָמַר ה' קַבֶּל־לָךְ

Gad came to David, and said to him: So said the Lord: You must decide. Accept upon yourself

אִם־שָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים רָעָב וְאִם־שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים נִסְפֶּה מִפְּנֵי־צָרֶיךָ וְחֶרֶב אוֹיְבֶיךָ לְמַשֶּׂגֶת וְאִם שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים חֶרֶב ה' וְדֶבֶר בָּאָרֶץ וּמַלְאַךְ ה' מַשְׁחִית בְּכָל־גְּבוּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַתָּה רְאֵה מָה־אָשִׁיב אֶת־שֹׁלְחִי דָּבָר

either three years of famine, which is one option; or three months to be killed before your foes, with your men killed, and the sword of your enemies will be able to reach you. You will not suffer a complete defeat, but many of your soldiers will die in battle. Or the third option: For three days the sword of the Lord will come, and there will be pestilence, a severe, contagious disease, in the land, and the angel of the Lord ravaging throughout the borders of Israel. Now consider what word I shall return to my sender. As God’s messenger, I must deliver your response to Him.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל־גָּד צַר־לִי מְאֹד אֶפְּלָה־נָּא בְיַד־ה' כִּי־רַבִּים רַחֲמָיו מְאֹד ובְיַד־אָדָם אַל־אֶפֹּל

David said to Gad: I am greatly distressed, as I have caused this tragedy through my own sins. Nevertheless, as I must choose between these possibilities, please let me fall into the hand of the Lord; I prefer the plague of pestilence, which is dependent upon the hand of God alone, as His mercies are great, and one can pray for the cessation of the plague; and let me not fall into the hand of man. I do not wish to lose in battle, or to fall prey to famine, which is an ongoing cause of suffering, and which can also be considered in the hands of man, as the hungry become dependent upon the compassion of other people.

וַיִּתֵּן ה' דֶּבֶר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּפֹּל מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף אִישׁ

The Lord set a pestilence against Israel, and seventy thousand men fell from Israel.

וַיִּשְׁלַח הָאֱלֹהִים מַלְאָךְ לִירוּשָׁלִַם לְהַשְׁחִיתָהּ וּכְהַשְׁחִית רָאָה ה' וַיִּנָּחֶם עַל־הָרָעָה וַיֹּאמֶר לַמַּלְאָךְ הַמַּשְׁחִית רַב עַתָּה הֶרֶף יָדֶךָ וּמַלְאַךְ ה' עֹמֵד עִם גֹּרֶן אָרְנָן הַיְבוּסִי

At a certain stage God sent an angel to Jerusalem in order to ravage it, and when he was about to ravage the city, God saw and reconsidered the evil, for just as David had said, God’s mercies are great. He said to the ravaging angel: Enough, now release your hand from striking Israel further. The angel of the Lord was standing at the threshing floor of Ornan the Yevusite.

וַיִּשָּׂא דָוִיד אֶת־עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת־מַלְאַךְ ה' עֹמֵד בֵּין הָאָרֶץ וּבֵין הַשָּׁמַיִם וְחַרְבּוֹ שְׁלוּפָה בְּיָדוֹ נְטוּיָה עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָם וַיִּפֹּל דָּוִיד וְהַזְּקֵנִים מְכֻסִּים בַּשַּׂקִּים עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם

Details of how these events unfolded are now related: David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between the earth and the heavens, and his sword was drawn in his hand, outstretched over Jerusalem, as a sign that he was about to destroy the city. David and the elders, covered in sackcloth, fell on their faces. Some interpret the verse in this manner: David fell on his face in terror or respect, whereas the elders did not see the angel, as they were clothed in sackcloth that covered their faces.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים הֲלֹא אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי לִמְנוֹת בָּעָם וַאֲנִי־הוּא אֲשֶׁר־חָטָאתִי וְהָרֵעַ הֲרֵעוֹתִי וְאֵלֶּה הַצֹּאן מֶה עָשׂוּ ה' אֱלֹהַי תְּהִי נָא יָדְךָ בִּי וּבְבֵית אָבִי ובְעַמְּךָ לֹא לְמַגֵּפָה

David said to God: Wasn’t it I who said to count the people? It is I who sinned and I who have done harm, and these sheep, Israel, what have they done? It is not right for them to be harmed. Lord my God, please, let Your hand be against me, and against my father’s house; it is better for the punishment to fall upon myself and my family, but as for Your people, there should be no plague.

וּמַלְאַךְ ה' אָמַר אֶל־גָּד לֵאמֹר לְדָוִיד כִּי יַעֲלֶה דָוִיד לְהָקִים מִזְבֵּחַ לַה' בְּגֹרֶן אָרְנָן הַיְבֻסִי

The angel of the Lord said to Gad in a prophetic vision, to say to David, that David should go up and establish an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Yevusite. David did not require an intermediary in order to pray, but as he lacked the power to receive the word of God directly, Gad once again served as the intermediary.

וַיַּעַל דָּוִיד בִּדְבַר־גָּד אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּשֵׁם ה'

David went up at the word of Gad that he spoke in the name of the Lord.

וַיָּשָׁב אָרְנָן וַיַּרְא אֶת־הַמַּלְאָךְ וְאַרְבַּעַת בָּנָיו עִמּוֹ מִתְחַבְּאִים וְאָרְנָן דָּשׁ חִטִּים

Ornan turned and saw the angel; his four sons were with him, hiding on the threshing floor, as they thought it best to hide during the plague. And Ornan emerged from his hiding place and was threshing wheat.

וַיָּבֹא דָוִיד עַד־אָרְנָן וַיַּבֵּט אָרְנָן וַיַּרְא אֶת־דָּוִיד וַיֵּצֵא מִן־הַגֹּרֶן וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְדָוִיד אַפַּיִם אָרְצָה

David came to Ornan; Ornan looked and saw David, and he emerged from the threshing floor, and he prostrated himself to David with his face to the ground.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶל־אָרְנָן תְּנָה־לִּי מְקוֹם הַגֹּרֶן וְאֶבְנֶה־בּוֹ מִזְבֵּחַ לַה' בְּכֶסֶף מָלֵא תְּנֵהוּ לִי ותֵעָצַר הַמַּגֵּפָה מֵעַל הָעָם

David said to Ornan: Give me the site of this threshing floor, and I will build upon it an altar to the Lord; give it to me for a full price and then the plague will cease from the people.

וַיֹּאמֶר אָרְנָן אֶל־דָּוִיד קַח־לָךְ וְיַעַשׂ אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָיו רְאֵה נָתַתִּי הַבָּקָר לָעֹלוֹת וְהַמּוֹרִגִּים לָעֵצִים וְהַחִטִּים לַמִּנְחָה הַכֹּל נָתָתִּי

Ornan said to David: Take it for yourself as a gift, and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. Furthermore, see, I have given you the cattle that are here for burnt offerings, and the threshing sledges, the boards that are typically dragged by the animals, for wood with which to burn the offerings, and the wheat on the threshing floor for the meal offering; I have given it all. I am prepared to give all of it, free of charge.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִיד לְאָרְנָן לֹא כִּי־קָנֹה אֶקְנֶה בְּכֶסֶף מָלֵא כִּי לֹא־אֶשָּׂא אֲשֶׁר־לְךָ לַה' וְהַעֲלוֹת עוֹלָה חִנָּם

King David said to Ornan: No, but I will buy it for full price; I insist on purchasing the site, as I will not take that which is yours for the Lord and offer up a burnt offering for free. I cannot bring an offering to God on a site that does not belong to me. Since I wish to build an altar here, I will pay for the site.

וַיִּתֵּן דָּוִיד לְאָרְנָן בַּמָּקוֹם שִׁקְלֵי זָהָב מִשְׁקַל שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת

David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. Apparently, David did not purchase the threshing floor alone; rather, he purchased a larger plot of land. According to the continuation of the story, a large part of the mountain, or perhaps even all of it, belonged to Ornan. David acquired the entire area of Moriah, which at that time was located outside the city, in order to establish the Temple there.

וַיִּבֶן שָׁם דָּוִיד מִזְבֵּחַ לַה' וַיַּעַל עֹלוֹת וּשְׁלָמִים וַיִּקְרָא אֶל־ה' וַיַּעֲנֵהוּ באֵשׁ מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם עַל מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה

David built there an altar to the Lord, and he offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called to the Lord, and He answered him from the heavens with fire that descended on the altar of burnt offering. The descent of the fire was a sign for David, of his reconciliation with God.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' לַמַּלְאָךְ וַיָּשֶׁב חַרְבּוֹ אֶל־נְדָנָהּ

The Lord said to the angel, God instructed him to abandon the attack, and he returned his sword to its sheath. Up to this point, the angel had remained in a state of waiting, ready to continue or desist.

בָּעֵת הַהִיא בִּרְאוֹת דָּוִיד כִּי־עָנָהוּ ה' בְּגֹרֶן אָרְנָן הַיְבוּסִי וַיִּזְבַּח שָׁם

At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Yevusite, he slaughtered offerings there.

וּמִשְׁכַּן ה' אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה בַמִּדְבָּר וּמִזְבַּח הָעוֹלָה בָּעֵת הַהִיא בַּבָּמָה בְּגִבְעוֹן

At this point, some background information is provided: The Tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were, at that time, at the shrine in Givon, not in Jerusalem.

וְלֹא־יָכֹל דָּוִיד לָלֶכֶת לְפָנָיו לִדְרֹשׁ אֱלֹהִים כִּי נִבְעַת מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב מַלְאַךְ ה'

David had not been able to go before it, the altar at Givon, to seek God, as he had been afraid due to the sword of the angel of the Lord. As long as the angel was standing above him with sword in hand, David feared to leave the city. Therefore, he could not sacrifice offerings in the appropriate place. Instead of traveling to Givon, David built a new altar at Gad’s command, upon which he sacrificed offerings of atonement. The Ark of the Covenant had been brought to Jerusalem because David wanted it near him, but he was not certain that this was the suitable site for it. In the meantime, therefore, he situated the ark in a tent rather than in a permanent structure, and also refrained from transferring the rest of the vessels of the Tabernacle to Jerusalem.